The General Services Administration is looking to hand off a historic lighthouse on Cleveland’s waterfront.
The Cleveland West Pierhead Lighthouse, which was built in the early 20th century, helped guide ships into the city’s harbor but is no longer needed by the U.S. Coast Guard and now available under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
The four-story lighthouse features a basement, galley and living quarters. It also has picturesque views of Lake Erie and Downtown Cleveland.
It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Cleveland landmark, according to a press release from the GSA.
The West Pierhead light is available at no cost, but only to government agencies, community development corporations, educational institutions or nonprofits who plan to use it for educational, recreational, cultural or historic preservation purposes.
The lighthouse was one of many that once dotted Cleveland’s waterfront, according to Kraig Anderson, who documents lighthouses on his website, lighthousefriends.com. He also sits on the board of directors of the United States Lighthouse Society.
"There's been a lot of lighthouses ... at Cleveland,” Anderson said. I don't know the exact number, but I would say at least 10 different lighthouses that were built there to mark the harbor, to mark to the river.”
The West Pierhead Lighthouse went into operation in 1911, said Anderson who's been researching lighthouses in the U.S. and Canada for over 30 years. Previously staffed by civilians, operations were taken over by the Coast Guard in 1939. It continued manning the facility until 1965, when Anderson said it was automated.
As part of the transfer, the Coast Guard will still need access to its equipment, according to the GSA.
The lighthouse has been available several times previously, Anderson said, but ultimately each time with no takers.
One reason may be that it is only accessible by boat, which Anderson said could make repairs difficult. The lighthouse is being offered in “as is” condition, and the listing does not specify if repairs are needed or what any restoration work could cost.
Still, Anderson said the lighthouse would hold great value as a public asset, such as becoming a museum or being used as a research station by a college.
“The good thing about an organization taking over a lighthouse is typically they must maintain public access to the property,” Anderson said. “So that allows the public to enjoy the lighthouse, whereas if it goes to auction, then it's sold to a private individual or private individuals.”
Eligible organizations have until May 26 to reach out to the GSA about acquiring the lighthouse. If there is no response, the GSA will once again put it up for public auction.
A sale almost took place in 2023, when two individuals teamed up to offer $425,000 for it. According to Anderson, the winning bidders never closed on the deal.
